Comandante by Rory Carroll Hugo Chavez's Venezuela

The best things in Rory Carroll’s fine, timely book are the small details...These snippets, collected by Mr Carroll while he was reporting for the Guardian, are woven into a compelling story that comes close to answering the riddle of Mr Chávez...
-The Economist

Few leaders in our time have been as divisive and enigmatic as the late Hugo Chavez. In Comandante, acclaimed journalist Rory Carroll tells the inside story of Chavez’s life, his time as Venezuela’s president, and his legacy. Based on interviews with ministers, aides, courtiers, and citizens, this intimate piece of reportage chronicles a unique experiment in power that veers among enlightenment, tyranny, comedy, and farce. Carroll also investigates the almost religious devotion of millions of Venezuelans who regarded Chavez as a savior and the loathing of those who branded him as a dictator. In beautiful prose that blends the lyricism and strangeness of magical realism with the brutal, ugly truth of authoritarianism, Comandante offers a cautionary tale for our times.

Formerly The Guardian's Latin American bureau chief, RORY CARROLL has covered war zones, survived a kidnapping in Iraq, and reported on South Africa's postapartheid transition. Now in California, he was stationed in Caracas for the research and writing of Comandante.

The Economist

on
Mar 09 2013

The best things in Rory Carroll’s fine, timely book are the small details...These snippets, collected by Mr Carroll while he was reporting for the Guardian, are woven into a compelling story that comes close to answering the riddle of Mr Chávez...